Pesariis: The Most Charming Village in Northern Italy

I am a sucker for cute, charming villages in Europe.

If that wee town is also off the beaten path a bit, then I really fall for it.

And I fell head over heels for Pesariis in Northern Italy.

Seriously.

I was in off-the-tourist track, adorable European village heaven.

Why is this little town so appealing?

I’ll answer this question.

But I know you’re probably asking,”Where is Pesariis, Lynne?”

So let’s begin with the essentials.

 

Where is this cute as a button village?

Pesariis in located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy.

This is the far northeastern piece of the boot that borders Slovenia to the East and Austria to the North.

Pesariis is specifically in the Val Pesarina — one of 7 valleys in the Carnia area of the region.

The Carnia is home to lots of mountains, many of which are part of the Dolomites.

And this hamlet is tiny with only about 180 full time inhabitants.

But the setting is beautiful and it has this really unique history.

 

It’s all about time

So I discovered Pesariis a little over 3 years ago as I was writing Location Inspiration Guide: A Journey Through Italy.

I was seeking out lesser-visited towns and sites in Italy — region by region.

I’m not entirely sure how I stumbled upon this dot of a village, but when I read about it, I knew it was the perfect destination to include in the e-guide.

Fast forward 3 years to me planning my itinerary for the 2019 adventure and I realized I could include a stop here.

It was a no brainer for me to spend a couple of days in Pesariis.

You see, as I researched this village, I found out that it has a clock and watch making history dating back to the early 18th century.

There are some stories about a Solari character that settled in Pesariis around 1700, but this might just be folklore.

Regardless of the story, Fabrica Solari was started back in 1725.

This “company” made clocks in the Pesariis area, mostly in an artisanal way.

By the early 20th century the company became Fratelli Solari which began making all kinds of clocks such as checkerboard clocks and eventually digital clocks.

In honor of this history, Pesariis has different types of clocks scattered about the village.

There is a mapped-out route you can walk.

Each clock has a board explaining what you are looking at so you can learn more about types of clocks and their origins.

The village also has a small clock museum that you can tour for just €3.

It’s a fascinating little town with an interesting history.

 

But Pesariis is more than its clock history

Admittedly, the clock route and the museum are what drew me to the town and this is the main reason to visit.

But this village also happens to sit in a gorgeous location in the Val Pesarina, surrounded by the mountains.

Pesariis is tiny and sooo daggone cute — narrow cobblestone lanes, gnomes standing outside of houses, witches hanging on balconies, locals sitting outside on benches chatting.

So what you find is real Italian life in a small mountain village.

And for me that’s enough to keep me, my camera and my sense of adventure interested for a couple of days.

Oh, and there’s a church.

Because, well, Italy.

There also happens to be an exceptional place to stay and eat in Agriturismo Sot La Napa which is right in the heart of Pesariis.

I’ll be writing a separate post on this incredible accommodation and restaurant.

But let’s just say it’s quite the hidden gem — which is a term I don’t like to use.

However, in this case, it really fits!

 

The clock route

Even if you just stop by Pesariis for a couple of hours, you’ll want to walk the clock route.

You don’t have to do this in order, but it’s laid out to make it easy to walk from 1 to 15.

But you don’t have to start at number 1.

I began the route with number 4 and then proceeded from there.

Each clock you come to has a board — in 5 different languages — explaining the clock you are viewing.

You can also get a brochure of the clock route with the map and some explanations at the museum.

I got the brochure at Sot La Napa, where I stayed.

The clocks are all different and each is fascinating in its own way.

I also highly recommend a visit to the museum.

It’s located in the heart of Pesariis and will only set you back €3.

And yes, it’s filled with all kinds of clocks from different decades and centuries.

I visited the museum after I walked the route, but you can certainly tour the museum first.

Just know that the museum will close for a couple of hours around noon time in typical Italian style.

 

The art of Pesariis

Along with the clocks comes some art.

This was a nice surprise.

As I wandered about the afternoon I arrived, I noticed these scenes on the sides of buildings.

Each one is different.

Some are a bit humorous — like the one with the man pulling his dog on the leash, trying to get him around the corner.

Others are simply more every day life such as the one where the woman is hanging laundry.

I’m not 100% sure what they are made of, but it looks like some sort of plastic netting — as though someone decided to reuse this plastic and create something fun and interesting.

It was such a treat to find these scenes as I wandered about.

 

The charm of this hamlet

You know, I love walking around villages like Pesariis.

Yes, this town has an intriguing feature in its clocks.

But I also found the art.

I stumbled upon beautiful doors and windows.

I discovered witches and gnomes which are both prevalent in a lot of Northern Italy.

And I simply watched every day life — folks sitting outside chatting, kids riding their bicycles and men working in the fields on the outskirts of town.

Too often I think we overlook villages such as Pesariis as we race to see the destinations in the big guidebooks.

When we slow down and stop — and even stay a night or 2 — in small towns like this, then we are treated to the delights of village life.

There’s often so much more to these hamlets than initially meets the eye.

Pesariis certainly has more to it than I thought.

And it’s charming as hell.

 

Do you like visiting small villages?

I’d love to hear about your travels to small towns like Pesariis.

I always enjoy learning about discovering these destinations.

So leave a comment below or feel free to email me and tell me all about it.